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Let's see, he has guided us through some of the roughest times known with serious foreign threats and a huge national recession, while enduring border-line mutinous behavior by Congress.

Yeah, it would have been a lot easier for him to coast in the usual direction — further gambling the future of our children, country and planet. Instead, he's courageous enough to aim us in the right path — away from the strong gravitational pull of greed, selfishness, prejudice and oil.

Looks like he deserves a spot next to Abe.

BRAD BRYON

Penngrove

<b>Money and loyalty</b>

EDITOR: I don't understand all of this bashing of President Barack Obama. He sits at his desk in the Oval Office with pen in hand waiting for our elected members of Congress to pass legislation that he will then sign or veto. He doesn't make legislation and enforce it. If he did, this country wouldn't be a democracy but a dictatorship. He can influence Congress, but it is up to the members to do their job of representing the voters.

In future elections, we need to stop looking at the political party and look at the person who represents the poor and hardworking middle-class Americans who have made this country the envy of the world. Those that have gained great wealth got it because of the hardworking citizens of this country.

The obligation of political parties — whether Democrat, Republican, Peace and Freedom or Libertarian — should be to the voters. Money buys many things, and loyalty to the voters soon disappears.

In future elections, we need to look hard at the people running for office and the issues they feel strongly about and not how money can influence us. Vote wisely, my fellow Americans. This country is in trouble.

PAUL BENKOVER

Sebastopol

<b>A brighter future</b>

EDITOR: After reading Staff Writer Kevin McCallum's article about how the city of Santa Rosa handled the lease of a building to the Community Child Care Council, we thought it important to provide additional information that the article neglected to mention ("SR to settle another rental-lease lapse," Tuesday).

The council operates a state-funded preschool at the Willow Creek site, where each year, 48 low-income children receive high-quality educational services for no or low cost.

What the article failed to mention was the agreement between the council and the city was based on a partnership that recognized these preschool services as a benefit to our community and that a reasonable rent is necessary because of limited state funding.

Furthermore, since occupying the building in 2007, the council has applied for, received and invested more than $35,000 in grant funding to make repairs and renovations to the Willow Creek site so that children can learn in a safe, clean and developmentally appropriate environment.

Unfortunately, this article chose to focus on a relatively minor administrative issue rather than the more important issue: In these times of limited resources, how can government and nonprofits work together to provide important services that our community needs to create a brighter future?

EDITOR: Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution says: "The Congress shall have the Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow Money on credit of the United States . . ."

The 14th Amendment, Section 4 includes: "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."

I believe that anyone in Congress who tries to block the constitutional requirements honoring U.S. debts is bordering on treason.

Let's see, he has guided us through some of the roughest times known with serious foreign threats and a huge national recession, while enduring border-line mutinous behavior by Congress.

Yeah, it would have been a lot easier for him to coast in the usual direction — further gambling the future of our children, country and planet. Instead, he's courageous enough to aim us in the right path — away from the strong gravitational pull of greed, selfishness, prejudice and oil.

Looks like he deserves a spot next to Abe.

BRAD BRYON

Penngrove

<b>Money and loyalty</b>

EDITOR: I don't understand all of this bashing of President Barack Obama. He sits at his desk in the Oval Office with pen in hand waiting for our elected members of Congress to pass legislation that he will then sign or veto. He doesn't make legislation and enforce it. If he did, this country wouldn't be a democracy but a dictatorship. He can influence Congress, but it is up to the members to do their job of representing the voters.

In future elections, we need to stop looking at the political party and look at the person who represents the poor and hardworking middle-class Americans who have made this country the envy of the world. Those that have gained great wealth got it because of the hardworking citizens of this country.

The obligation of political parties — whether Democrat, Republican, Peace and Freedom or Libertarian — should be to the voters. Money buys many things, and loyalty to the voters soon disappears.

In future elections, we need to look hard at the people running for office and the issues they feel strongly about and not how money can influence us. Vote wisely, my fellow Americans. This country is in trouble.

PAUL BENKOVER

Sebastopol

<b>A brighter future</b>

EDITOR: After reading Staff Writer Kevin McCallum's article about how the city of Santa Rosa handled the lease of a building to the Community Child Care Council, we thought it important to provide additional information that the article neglected to mention ("SR to settle another rental-lease lapse," Tuesday).

The council operates a state-funded preschool at the Willow Creek site, where each year, 48 low-income children receive high-quality educational services for no or low cost.

What the article failed to mention was the agreement between the council and the city was based on a partnership that recognized these preschool services as a benefit to our community and that a reasonable rent is necessary because of limited state funding.

Furthermore, since occupying the building in 2007, the council has applied for, received and invested more than $35,000 in grant funding to make repairs and renovations to the Willow Creek site so that children can learn in a safe, clean and developmentally appropriate environment.

Unfortunately, this article chose to focus on a relatively minor administrative issue rather than the more important issue: In these times of limited resources, how can government and nonprofits work together to provide important services that our community needs to create a brighter future?

MAYA LABOURDETTE

Finance director, Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County

<b>Debt ceiling</b>

EDITOR: Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution says: "The Congress shall have the Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow Money on credit of the United States . . ."

The 14th Amendment, Section 4 includes: "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."

I believe that anyone in Congress who tries to block the constitutional requirements honoring U.S. debts is bordering on treason.